Our Team
We are a collective of specialists working together to build better food and hospitality business solutions. Together, we aim to engage client commissions and collaborators in a process that respects and reflects common core business values. Our knowledge and creative culture have no boundaries. When you commission us, you’re part of our creative community and its shared expertise and ideas. Our way of working often leads to long term, ongoing project relationships that track the evolution of a brand or body of work.
Mohamad El Chehimi
Founder and Managing Partner
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Food and beverage artist with more than 22 years of planning, designing, structuring, management and operational experience within hotels, restaurants and cafes across the Middle East and the wider GCC. Food Explained was established based on his belief that agriculture and cooking cannot be separated and that agriculture and hospitality business practices and standards must be challenged and raised.
Mohammed Kareem
Managing Partner
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Mohammed holds a Masters in Business Management, and has Seven years of experience in operational and business development across multiple Startups in both Iraq & UAE. Mohammed has excellent organizational management and business development skills.
He prides himself on his athleticism which has earned him the CrossFit national champion for three years running.
Myriam El Khatib
Administration & Office Manager
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Myriam is a Hospitality graduate with extensive experience in Food and Beverage Management & Marketing. She has huge passion for good food and food culture.
Myriam is also in charge and responsible of our Food Explained Shop.
Mazen Daouk
Commercial and business Managment
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have more than 20 years of operations and management experience in coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants between Dubai, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan and a well rounded experience in industrial kitchen equipment and turnkey projects.
Mazen El Dassouki
Catering and Banquet Expert
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With a hospitality career spanning almost 30 years immersed in the Middle East, Mazen’s focus is catering, banquets, service training and team development.
Bassam Najjar
MEP Mechanical and Construction Engineer
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Construction and fit-out engineer with 38 years of global experience spanning the USA and the GCC managing decor and architectural space planning, interior fit-outs and MEP, from malls to retail for international and emerging local brands.
Siva Kumar
CFO
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Finance expert with more than 25 years of experience focused on improving the health of businesses in retail, FMCG, hospitality and construction. Specialist in ERP implementation, RPA technologies, and ClicData reporting tools to facilitate business operations with minimum manpower.
Anas Zeinedin
Partner and Consultant Advisor
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Innovation expert focused on supporting startups with investment and growth acceleration. Key positions in technical and directional roles focused on technology and innovation form the basis of sound strategic advisory and in-depth understanding of business strategy, processes, services, roadmap and the context in which businesses operate.
Aida El Shahabi
HR Manager
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Human resources professional with10 years of experience in human resourcing and planning for the hospitality sector from on-board to off- board, training and development, and operational HR management.
Edward Haddad
Hospitality Kitchen Consultant Advisor
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Edward has managed a Dubai-based multi-million dollar company for eighteen years. More than 20 years of experience in the hospitality sector have focused on international trading and business relations.
Lotfi Ayoub
Franchise and development consultant
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Lotfi began his career in the UAE in 2001 and is a highly respected specialist in the real-estate investment sector with a focus on team and contract management, business set-up and negotiation.
Guerassim Daskalov
Consultant Advisor
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Specialized in business development and investment management, Guerassim began his career in the UAE in1992. His focus is international business relations between the USA, Europe, the Middle East, driven by the achievement of superior investment performance for clients rather than short term revenue goals.
Mazen Refae
Consultant Advisor
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Innovation strategist with 23 years of experience focused on FMCG sales and marketing and agribusiness value-chain planning, helping clients transform vision into reality through the development of robust and effective business strategy to facilitate profitable growth in competitive international markets.
Ammar Alhasan
Graphic Designer
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Talented and passionate graphic designer with 7 years of experience worked on local branding creation from scratch to developing and improving existing brands
Carlo dei Tedeschi
Marketing and Brand Consultant
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Creatively intuitive marketing and communications professional with more than 30 years of experience working with some of the world’s most recognized brands. His work combines agile intelligence with vibrant thinking.